Netflix’s Hit Franchise To Expand With Fight Club’s David Fincher at the Helm

The director of modern Hollywood classics like Se7en and Fight Club, David Fincher, has reportedly found his next project – an English-language remake of the Netflix juggernaut Squid Game. While we have reported rumors of this news a while back, the rumors about Fincher’s involvement with a remake of the Netflix show are only getting louder.

Per a report by Deadline, Fincher is now working on a remake of Squid Game, and considering Netflix holds the rights to the show, it’s safe to say this will come as part of Fincher’s deal with the streamer. A deal that has recently resulted in such films as Mank and The Killer. Writer Dennis Kelly (Utopia, The Third Day) is behind the script for the English-language remake of the hit Korean thriller.

It is also claimed that the project started as a movie before being turned into a TV series, and that it won’t take place anywhere near Korea, and is instead “likely” to bring the horror to the United States. Other previous collaborations between Fincher and Netflix include House of Cards, Love Death and Robots and, of course, the critically acclaimed Mindhunter, which was tragically canceled after just two seasons.

Squid Game was created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, who also wrote and directed all the episodes in Season 1, which holds an outstanding score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. It stars Lee Jung-jae, HoYeon Jung, O Yeong-su, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, and Heo Sung-tae, among others. The series follows a group of 456 players who are recruited to play a game that could make them millionaires. That is if they can survive the deadly versions of various children’s games. At the Emmys, the show received multiple nominations, taking home six awards on the night.

Squid Game Quickly Became a Pop Culture Phenomenon

Released in 2021 to critical acclaim, Squid Game is proof of Netflix’s international reach. The show quickly became their most-watched series to date, even beating its other signature shows like Stranger Things and Bridgerton (in just one month, Netflix reported the show had 1.65 billion viewing hours). The fascination with the show is the result of its high production value, cast of compelling characters, and the gripping creativity of its storyline.

The Squid Game phenomenon has since seen real people put themselves in the (less deadly) firing line in the spin-off Squid Game: The Challenge, which puts players in a similar setting, albeit without all the gore and gruesome kills. Much like the fictional original, the show saw contestants competing for money, with their chests exploding with black ink at the point of elimination and simulating being killed. While a creative way to pay tribute to the original show, in retrospect, it’s all a bit eerie. In any case, both shows will return with their respective second seasons, with audiences left to patiently wait for more details about how David Fincher will continue the franchise further.

In Squid Game, a mysterious invitation to join a competition is sent to people at risk who are in dire need of money. Four hundred fifty-six participants from all walks of life are locked into a secret location where they play games to win 45.6 billion won. Games are selected from traditional Korean children’s games, such as Red Light and Green Light, but the consequence of losing is death. To survive, competitors must choose their alliances carefully – but the further they go in the competition, the more likely betrayal will rear its ugly head.

Release Date

September 17, 2021

Creator(s)

Hwang Dong-hyuk

Cast

Wi Ha-joon , Anupam Tripathi , Oh Yeong-su , Heo Sung-tae , Park Hae-soo , Jung Ho-yeon , Lee Jung-jae , Kim Joo-ryoung